Ultimate Sacrifice!

What is the ultimate sacrifice in bodybuilding? How do you reach your goals? How to avoid distractions during the holidays. Learn how!

Every day during the bodybuilding season, men and women all over the world make the ultimate sacrifice.
Or should I say, "Ultimate Sacrifices." Things that most of the population take for granted. These sacrifices that are made can mean the difference between
success or failure,
winning or losing ... etc.

Sacrifices that the average person would never dream of making. What are some of the types of sacrifices I am talking about? There are way too many to even imagine! This article will touch the hearts and minds of bodybuilders all-over!

It is not uncommon that a serious bodybuilder will and must make sacrifices that no other human wants to understand or cares to understand.

Many of these sacrifices are necessary to reach goals that bodybuilders are constantly creating for themselves. Being that it is the holiday season, many of you are making that ultimate sacrifice at this very moment.

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The Friday Night Hang-Out

It's Friday and another long and productive work week has been accomplished. As you leave work, you head to your gym to meet with the guys/ladies to find out where everyone is heading for the evening. As usual, the gym is filled with friends and colleagues and as you begin your routine, conversation begins about all the different hang-outs that are "hot" tonight.

By the time you finish your work-out, a plan has been made to meet at a local club that evening. You hit the showers, call home and request a "kitchen-pass" (if needed that is), and head to the hang-out spot! When you get there and enter the club, you immediately site your friends and head toward them.

When you arrive, you are handed a "cold-one." MMMMmmmm ... Fosters! My favorite! And that is just the beginning. You drink and, if available, eat, bond, and drink! Without the slightest bit of guilt, this is how you celebrate this and several weekend occurrences over and over all year. I know I did. That is until I decided to bodybuild.

As many bodybuilders realize, this lifestyle is not conducive for achieving a winning physique. Even more depressing is the fact that it must be "sacrificed" in order to make the gains that are necessary to win! Many weekends, I myself would leave the gym and head to the designated hang-out spot to meet the "boys," have a couple and bond. This was, to me, a normal event.

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Even after I started bodybuilding, it took many post-contest evaluations before I made the realization that in order to win I had to sacrifice the weekend hang-out. As a result, I would finally realize that goal I had dreamed about.

Also, I have managed to rid myself of drinking alcohol just to drink alcohol. Although I wasn't an alcoholic at the time, who knows what it could have lead to? Making that ultimate sacrifice made my ultimate goal achievable!

The Cook-out

Whether it's Memorial Day, July 4th, or Labor Day, it's easy to find a friend or family member whose having a holiday cook-out. This usual poses a dilemma for most bodybuilders. Usualy the time of year that these particular holidays are observed, its bodybuilding season.

Most definitely you will be invited to a cook-out and being the person you are feel obligated to attend. When you go, everything that you have only dreamed about eating for weeks is just sitting there. Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, beer, desserts of all kinds, and the list goes on. How do you handle such temptation?

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When confronted with such an opportunity to satisfy the ever-present desire to indulge during pre-contest dieting especially, I have made it a point to plan ahead. During my pre-contest diets, I will incorporate a carb-load day every 3rd and 4th day (i.e. Monday and Thursday).

If a holiday is coming, I will plan for that day to be my carb-load day! Being that Memorial Day and Labor Day fall on Monday, I'm already covered! If July 4th falls on a Friday, I will skip my Thursday carb-load and save it for Friday.

Another strategy that may work for some is to stick to eating things that are within your diet. Barbeque chicken breasts could be a very sensible alternative. By all means, try to enjoy the cook-out and make the ultimate sacrifice and avoid over-indulging!

Office Carry-in

There it is sitting in the break-room calling your name. It appeared almost out of thin air and who placed it there, you don't even care. It happens several times per week and even more frequently during the holiday season. It's the office "carry-in".

Those considerate co-workers who bring in goodies to share are the most thoughtful people around! Unfortunately, it is a sacrifice that must be made when sticking to a diet regimen.

Donuts, cookies, cake, candies, and many, many other goodies are there for the taking and, at times, it takes every bit of strength to resist.

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Does Your Place Of Employment Constantly Tempt You With Snack Foods?

Yes. No. I wish.

I must say, it was one of the greatest temptations I had to overcome when I decided to bodybuild. It was just too accessible. I didn't have to drive anywhere to get it. I didn't have to buy it. I didn't have to cook it. It was there and so easy to enjoy. Building my so-called goody immune system took longer than building some areas of my physique.

I mean, even at some meetings those @! goodies were there. What can you do to avoid them? You don't. The fact that they exist and will exist in every facet of your daily life is unavoidable. I learned that resistance was futile. The only way to make such a sacrifice is to change your overall eating habits.

I have mentioned in previous articles that, by maintaining a strict pre-contest diet, enabled me to lower my threshold of gratification. Because I decided to make the commitment to eating healthier, allowed me to realize that those goodies were not as irresistible as I once believed.

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After several months of strict dieting, I no longer desired them to satisfy my cravings. Now, I can be in a room filled with all kinds of goodies and not even feel a need to indulge. I'm truly in control!

Chat about the sacrifices you've made and read others pre-competition experiences in our popular message boards!

I could go on and on talking about the many sacrifices I have made each year during my bodybuilding season. However many sacrifices must be made, the rewards for making them are many.

I like to refer to it as a change in lifestyle. Anyone serious about being the best bodybuilder possible, will undoubtedly make the "Ultimate Sacrifice".

Well, another wrap and before I go, Happy Holidays to you all and see you next article!

Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional prior to beginning any diet or exercise program or taking any dietary supplement. The content on our website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice or to replace a relationship with a qualified healthcare professional.